Tender Triumph Read online

  A jolt rocketed through Katie's nervous system as his warm lips covered hers in a lingering kiss. When he lifted his head, he slipped his arm around Katie's waist, drew her unresisting body close to his side, and led her to the crowd of dancing couples as a slow love song began to play.

  Ramon's low voice murmured something in her ear as they danced, but Katie didn't understand the words he said to her. She was too preoccupied with the unbelievably arousing feel of his bare legs and thighs sliding intimately against hers as they moved in time to the music. Desire was pouring through her, melting her resolve. She wanted to lift her head and feel his mouth claim hers the way it had in her apartment; she wanted to be crushed in his strong arms and swept off into that same sweet, wild obli­vion he had shown her before.

  Closing her eyes in despair, Katie admitted the truth to herself. Even though she'd only known him for forty-eight hours, she wanted Ramon to make love to her tonight. She wanted it so badly that she was shaken and amazed... but at least she could understand her physical attraction to him. What she couldn't understand, and what frightened her, was this strange, magnetic pull she felt toward him emo­tionally. Sometimes, when he spoke to her in that deep, compelling voice of his, or looked at her with those dark penetrating eyes, Katie almost felt as if he were quietly reaching out to her and inexorably drawing her closer and closer to him.

  Mentally, Katie gave herself a hard shake. Getting involved with Ramon would be disastrous. They were hopelessly incompatible. He was proud, poor and dominating, while she was also proud, wealthy by his standards, and innately independent. Any re­lationship between them could only end in hurt and anger.

  Like the intelligent, sensible young woman she was, Katie decided the best way to avoid the danger of Ramon's attraction was to avoid Ramon himself. She would stay away from him as much as possible for the rest of the evening and firmly refuse to see him again after tonight. It was as simple as that. Ex­cept that when his lips brushed first her temple, then her forehead, Katie nearly forgot that she was sensi­ble and intelligent, and almost lifted her mouth up to his, to receive the stirring kiss she knew he would give her.

  The instant the song ended, Katie broke away from him. With a bright, smile pinned to her face she met his questioning look and said airily, "Why don't you mingle and have fun? I'll see you later."

  For the next hour and a half Katie flirted with every man she knew, and several she didn't. She was her most dazzlingly sociable self, and wherever she went the men followed, each one ready to dance, swim, drink, or make love, according to her slightest preference. She laughed and drank and danced.... And every moment she was aware that Ramon had apparently taken her suggestion and was thoroughly enjoying himself with at least four other women, particularly Karen, who never left his side.

  "Katie, let's get out of here and go somewhere quiet." Don's breath was hot in her ear as they danced to a throbbing disco beat.

  "I hate quiet places," Katie announced, twirling away from him and draping herself across Brad who was surprised, but not displeased, to find her sud­denly sitting on his lap. "Brad hates quiet places too, don't you?"

  "Sure I do," Brad leered. "So let's go back to my place and make noise in private."

  Katie wasn't listening. From the corner of her eye she watched Karen dancing with Ramon. Both of her arms were wound around his neck, her body swaying sensuously against his. Whatever Karen was saying to him certainly must have been amusing, be­cause Ramon, who had been grinning down at her, suddenly threw back his head and burst out laugh­ing. Irrationally, Katie was hurt by his easy defec­tion. Redoubling her efforts to be gay, she stood up and pulled a reluctant Brad to his feet. "Get up, lazy, and dance with me."

  Brad relinquished his can of beer, strolled into the dancers with his arm around Katie's shoulders, then caught her in a surprisingly crushing em­brace. "What the hell has got into you?" he de­manded in her ear. "I've never seen you act like this."

  Katie didn't answer because she was frantically looking for Ramon and Karen who, as she soon re­alized, were nowhere in sight. Her heart plummeted. Ramon had left the party with Karen.

  When they hadn't returned after thirty minutes, Katie abandoned all pretense of enjoying herself. Her stomach was twisted into sick knots and, whether she was dancing or talking, her eyes con­stantly scanned the shifting bodies, desperately searching for Ramon's tall form.

  Katie wasn't the only one who had noted Karen's disappearance with Ramon. Katie was dancing with Brad again, ignoring him entirely while she craned her neck looking for the missing couple, when Brad hissed contemptuously, "You aren't by any wild chance hung up on that spic that Karen's taken to her apartment, are you?"

  "Don't call him that!" Katie said fiercely, pulling out of his arms. There were tears in her eyes as she turned and plunged into the throngs of dancing cou­ples. "Where are you going?" an authoritative voice

  demanded right behind her.

  Katie swung around and faced Ramon, her fists clenched impotently at her sides. "Where have you been?"

  One dark brow lifted. "Jealous?"

  "Do you know," she said, almost choking, "I don't think I even like you!''

  "I do not like you very much tonight, either," Ramon replied evenly. Suddenly his gaze narrowed on her face. "There are tears in your eyes. Why?"

  "Because," Katie whispered furiously, "that stupid bastard called you a spic."

  Ramon burst out laughing and dragged her into his arms. "Oh, Katie," he laughed and sighed against her hair, "he is just angry because the woman he wants went for a walk with me."

  Tipping her head back, Katie searched his face. "You only went for a walk?"

  The laughter vanished from his expression. "Only for a walk. Nothing more." His arms tightened, holding her close as they moved in time to the music. Katie laid her cheek against the reassuring strength of his chest and surrendered to delight as his hands caressed her bare shoulders and back, then slid lower, splaying against her spine to force her pliant body into intimate contact with every hard line of his legs and thighs. One hand lifted and curved around her nape, stroking it sensuously, then tightened in an abrupt command. Drawing an unsteady breath, Katie obediently lifted her head to receive his kiss. His hand plunged into her thick silky hair, holding her captive for the driving hunger of his mouth.

  By the time he finally drew back, Ramon's breathing was harsh and Katie's pulse was racing out of control, the blood pounding in her ears. She stared up at him and shakily said, "I think I am get­ting very scared."

  "I know, querida," he said gently. "Things are happening too quickly for you."

  "What does 'querida' mean?"

  "Darling."

  Katie closed her eyes and swallowed, swaying weakly against him. "How long will you be here be­fore you go back to Puerto Rico?"

  His answer was a long time in coming. "I can stay until Sunday, a week from today, but no longer. We will spend every day together until then."

  Katie was too disappointed to even try to hide it. "We can't. I have to attend a big Memorial Day gathering at my parents' house tomorrow. I have Tuesday off work but Wednesday I have to be back at the office." She could see that he was about to argue, and since she also wanted to be with him as much as possible in the time they had left, Katie said, "Would you like to come to my parents' house with me tomorrow?" He looked uncomfortable and some sanity returned to Katie. "That probably isn't a good idea. You won't like them, and they won't like you."

  "Because they are rich and I am not?" He smiled faintly. "I may like them in spite of their wealth, who knows?"

  Katie smiled at the way he deliberately misstated the problem, and his arms tightened possessively, drawing her closer to him. He had a very engaging smile that softened his virile handsomeness and could make him look almost boyish. "Shall we go back to my place?'' Katie said.

  Ramon nodded and Katie went to collect her things while he poured Scotch into two paper cups, added ice and water, and then crossed to wh